Dietrich did not show any reaction to Fenrir's words.
However, it was no different for Presepe.
To be precise, he was so flustered that he missed the moment to react, though.
...What on earth did I just hear?
Presepe stared at Fenrir with a blank expression, but the person who actually spoke was completely normal.
"Who is after the Presepe…? How dare they."
And the first to break the silence was Dietrich.
"I cannot let them go. Especially if she is truly in danger! The safest place in Ateloia is this Imperial Palace!"
"But Your Majesty, the place where the incidents continued to occur was also the Imperial Palace."
Dietrich paused.
"Since Noah DeVern died in his own townhouse, it is a stretch to say he died at the Imperial Palace; however, it is difficult to conclude that he is completely unrelated to the series of strange events. So far."
"..."
"Once you have investigated the case and confirmed the truth, and jer safety is firmly guaranteed, then you can summon Lady Presepe back to the Imperial Palace."
Fenrir spoke with remarkable eloquence. He appeared as if he had thoroughly planned in advance exactly how to refute Dietrich's remarks.
"Presepe is..."
A suppressed voice burst from between Dietrich's lips.
“...you can’t go.”
"..."
"It's safest to be here."
Do you really think so?
Is there me in the imperial palace too?
Are you sure you won't actually do the things you did in your memories?
...On what basis?
Dietrich muttered to himself in the daylight, looking pale and terrified.
"..."
Fenrir's red eyes gleamed quietly and sinisterly as he gazed at Dietrich. It was not the look of someone looking at a superior whom one would never dare reach—the Emperor.
It was just a mocking look.
[Kill that filthy thing.]
Just like Presepe, Fenrir also remembered clearly.
In the Dietrich route, how much, and how unjustly and miserably, Praesepe met her death
[Hang her right now!]
Presepe was once hanged in the town square after being framed.
[Worth? Is a woman like you, deceitful from birth, worth keeping alive?]
There was even a time when dje was imprisoned and died after begging to be spared, claiming that everything was a misunderstanding.
At least it's called an ending...
[No matter how much you whisper your love to me... I cannot believe a single word. If I could just let go of your hand, that would be the end of it...]
All they could do was commit suicide together.
How dare he utter such nonsense on a topic that everyone knows by now?
And seeing him throw a tantrum like a child with such a completely broken face just looked ridiculous and petty.
"I am well aware of what Lady Presepe means to Your Majesty."
Dietrich paused once again.
"Even though you are not related by blood, you are precious beings with whom you spent your childhood. Isn't that right?"
"..."
"So, I am also well aware of how deeply you worry about Lady Presepe."
Worry.
Dietrich's eyes wavered briefly.
"You must want to protect and safeguard her at all costs. Anyone would feel the same way. And naturally, if you are a human being, even more so."
Dietrich could not give any answer.
"However, you probably wouldn't feel at ease sending Lady Presepe out of the Imperial Palace either."
Fenrir continued speaking.
"Therefore, I wish to be with Lady Presepe."
"...What?"
"I will be monitoring the situation from a townhouse in the capital. Although it is just a townhouse, it is large enough to station soldiers separately, so there shouldn't be any trouble."
"..."
"As Your Majesty's loyal subject, there is no room for doubt that I will protect Lady Presepe with all my might."
There was no problem listening to Fenrir's words.
Moreover, Fenrir was one of Dietrich's few closest confidants and the only person he could trust. He had helped him in every way, both materially and spiritually, even when he seized the imperial power.
But.
But...
"At this rate, Lady Presepe will be in danger. With a very high probability, in fact. If there were a better way, we might consider it, but isn't there absolutely no other answer right now?"
"..."
"Rumors will soon spread throughout the capital that suspicious incidents are occurring one after another at the Imperial Palace. As of now, it hasn't been revealed who the culprit is targeting, but if Lady Presepe is attacked, that will be a different story."
“I am..."
"Before long, people will focus on other topics. That is why... why Lady Presepe, having lost her status as an imperial Princess, was confined in the imperial palace, and in a tower at that."
Dietrich's face turned pale.
"And you might speculate. If I may be presumptuous, perhaps the truth is that Lady Presepe had some kind of special relationship with Your Imperial Majesty."
Fenrir's red eyes flickered as he stared at Dietrich as if glaring.
"So, perhaps Your Majesty personally imprisoned Lady Presepe. And doing so immediately after your accession; such a filthy scandal is bound to spread."
Dietrich's fingertips, resting on his knees, trembled slightly.
"Of course, I do not believe at all that Your Majesty would have committed such a despicable, vile, and even filthy act."
"..."
"However, you have not been on the throne for very long; wouldn't such rumors be of no benefit to Your Majesty?"
Fenrir spoke, his expression softening slightly.
"So, I wonder if you should grant permission."
"..."
"What do you think?"
Presepe, listening to Fenrir, still wore a blank expression.
'Even so, to cunningly drive Dietrich into such a corner...?'
He may be a high-ranking noble, but he is not of the imperial family.
Fenrir was just like a snake.
Cunningly manipulating others exactly as he wanted.
...But what was even more surprising was the sight of Dietrich, unable to get angry or furious at Fenrir's words.
As if struck right in the heart.
Presepe felt as though she might know the reason for this.
Fenrir likely spoke assuming the Emperor couldn't possibly have done such a thing, unaware of the full story, but ironically, Dietrich had indeed been committing 'despicable, base, and even sordid acts.'
Perhaps that was why Dietrich was wearing an expression that was difficult to describe.
"...Presepe."
And only after a considerable amount of time had passed did Dietrich move his dry lips in a heavily cracked voice.
"What do you want to do?"
"Yes...?"
"I am asking for your opinion."
"..."
"Leave the Imperial Palace and stay with Grand Duke Fenrir until the culprit is caught?"
....I can leave the Imperial Palace?
Can I get out of here?
Then what about the game? What happens to it?
Presepe's head spun.
It might not proceed normally at all. Since being possessed, nothing like this has ever happened even once.
Furthermore, she had never even left the Imperial Palace until just before she had built up enough affection to see an ending with a specific male character. Even then, she was only able to leave after successfully seeing that ending...
Yeah, once she gets out of the Tower, she can't even use the features you could otherwise utilize, like the Case Log or Looking Back on Past Memories. The Memory Book just keeps malfunctioning.
“Presepe.”
But if there really was a male lead inside the imperial palace, she would have already seen him. He would have even appeared.
In that case, it would be better...
Wouldn't it be more likely to succeed if she went out and searched freely?
She can't exactly trust Grand Duke Fenrir, but someone really might be after her.
And the Imperial Palace is not safe at all. In a way, this place is the most dangerous for her.
“Answer me."
Then...
If I leave the Imperial Palace...
I might be able to avoid going through those dreadful and terrible things anymore.
Being imprisoned in an ice prison, being executed, being kidnapped, being dragged around against one's will—things like that…
If I leave the Imperial Palace, 8will be able to avoid encountering not only Emperor Dietrich, but also Ivan, who lives in the magic tower, and Siegfried, whose main base of operations is the church.
...If the game is riddled with bugs anyway, shouldn't I at least choose an option that will be less painful for me?
“Presepe!”
As always, when there was no reply, Dietrich shouted Presepe's name loudly, as if threatening her not to annoy him any further. It was his old habit.
Fenrir glared at Dietrich with a cold look, and Presepe was fiddling with her innocent fingers...
She parted her lips with a trembling voice.
“I, I..."
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